Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd.

oft leue hem tul a tyme to contune þer inne. A howe cursid mar|chaundise of men of þe kirke, to selle soulis in synne to þe deuil for þer godis! And also þer oune soule; in part takyng of þe defaut, and for þe sacrilege þat þei do in reif of goodis. A howe gret schrewidnes, fraude, gile, and reif, and peruersite now regneþ in þe kirk, as is opun be þe dedis! Certis now is fillid þat is seid in þe psalme, For I sawe wickidnes and contradiccoun in þe cyte day [Ps. livo.] and nyȝt. Wickidnesse schal compasce here vp on her wall, and traueil in her middis, and vnritwisnes and vsere and gile an [are] not fallen from here stretis. In how many gret casis may it be, þat now regniþ in þe kirk synful marchondise; bryng to witnes; exa|myn þe sawis; discusse þe dedis; opun and comyn fame tra|ueyliþ, þat in þe court of Rome mai no man geyt no grace, but if it be bowt, nor þer is noon grauntid, but if it be for temporal meed; for þis þat þe pope reseruiþ to himsilf, and to þe chaumbre, as graunting of sum benfics, and þe first fruts of sum oþer, þat he gifiþ; and translatyng of bischops; and al þis is don, as it is seid, for couey|ties, and þat is seruant of idols; þei þat persuen for indulgencs, exempcouns, and priueylegs, sey how þei geyt nowt wiþ out bying; swilk are comynly grauntid to þe riche and myȝty of þe world. Wat of graunting of indulgencs, an abbot of gret riches ȝaf þre vndred marke, to geyt to his abbey, þries in þe ȝeere, þe same in|dulgence þat þe kirk of Rome is wont to graunt to hem þat visitun a place þat is callid porciuncula. Nout only, but also [a] cardi|nal gaf at his dying al his good, to haue þe same grauntid to a riche abbey were he was be fore monk, as men þat are hold trewe men witnessen. What more? A clene man was in þe court, and spak to hem þat had gret gouernaile in þe court, and praid him to ȝif him ordres frely. Wel, he seiþ, I schal ȝeue þe frely. And þou schalt ȝeue me foure floreynis, and I schal ordeyn þe a bischop aftir noon. And he ansuerid, Soþli, I haue but foure katereynis. Forsoþe, he seiþ, and þu schalt han non ordres here.
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Title
An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd.
Author
Wycliffe, John, supposed author. d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 12
Publication
London,: Printed for the Camden Society, by J.B. Nichols,
1842.
Subject terms
Lollards

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"An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/acm9160.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 4, 2025.
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